


A Perfect Evening

by alexis (of_too_minds)



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 04:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/of_too_minds/pseuds/alexis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes love is where we least expect it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Perfect Evening

“These packages won’t deliver themselves people! Bip, bip bip!” 

Max slammed shut her locker.  “I’m really not in the mood to deal with Normal’s bipping today.”

“Are you ever?”  Original Cindy gave her a long look.  “Seriously Boo, you are way too tense.  What you need is a night on the town.  No worries, no responsibilities.” 

As if on cue, Alec sauntered over.  “Good morning, ladies.  Hey, Maxie, I’ve got a proposition for you...”

The two girls glared at him.  Alec held up his hands in mock surrender.  “What?  It’s just a figure of speech.  Get your minds out of the gutter.  Look, don’t ask me how because you don’t want to know but I got my hot little hands on two tickets to the charity ball tomorrow night. How about it, Maxie… want to be my date?”

“Your date?” Max echoed blankly. 

“Yeaah,” Alec drawled. “You know what a date is, right? Dinner…dancing…free drinks...  How about it?” 

Max looked over at Original Cindy, who cocked one eyebrow at her.  She looked back at Alec, who waved the tickets enticingly in front of her.  

“C’mon Maxie.  You deserve a night out.”

She shrugged.  “Alright.”

“Alright?” he repeated, surprised.

“Yeah,” she answered impatiently.  “As in yes, I’ll go.”

“You’ll go?” Alec repeated. “You get the date’s with me, right?”

Max huffed and crossed her arms. “Do I need to beat it into that thick skull of yours? Yes, Alec. I will go on a date. With you. To the ball. Tonight.” 

Cindy snickered in the background. 

“Ok, ok! Great.  I’ll pick you up at 8.” Alec turned and rushed off before she could change her mind.

Once Alec was gone, Max turned to Cindy with a puzzled look on her face.  “Hold up… did I just agree to go on a date with him?”

“Uh huh.  About time too, boo.  That boy is hot.” Off Max’s somewhat incredulous look, Cindy just shrugged. “I may bat for the home team, but that don’ mean I don’ have eyes. And Alec is one damn fine lookin’ male.”

 

* * *

 

Asha let herself into Logan’s penthouse.  “Hello,” she called out as she made her way toward the office.  Logan was on the phone, scribbling rapidly with his free hand.

“Unhun…unhun…Great, thanks Matt.”  He hung up.  “Hey,” he said.

“Hey, yourself.  You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah…are you free tomorrow night?”

“You need my help with something for Eyes Only?”  She gestured towards the notes he’d made during the phone call with Matt Sung.

“Not exactly.  Listen, I have two tickets to the gala fundraiser for the Seattle Hospital Association tomorrow night, and I was hoping you’d go with me.  As my date.” 

“Your date?” she asked, a little breathless.

“Yeah.  You like to dance, don’t you?” 

“Dance?  Oh.”  Her face fell and she looked down at her feet.  “Is that why you’re asking me instead of Max?”

“What?  No!  Max has nothing to do with this.”  He touched her on the arm.  “Asha, you’ve been a really good friend to me.  I just wanted to say thank you…It’ll be fun.  Say yes.”

She looked at him and smiled.  “I’d love to,” she said.

“Great!  I’ll pick you up at 8.”

 

* * *

 

Original Cindy answered Alec’s knock.  She looked him up and down, appraisingly.  “Damn, you look good.”  Most men look self-conscious and uncomfortable in a tuxedo but not Alec.  He made the suit look good, not the other way around.

“Why, thank you,” he said, preening.  “Is Max ready?”

“Almost.”  Original Cindy held the door open.  Alec took three steps into the apartment and stopped dead.  “Wow,” he whispered.  “You look amazing.”

“Thanks,” Max said, and pirouetted to show off the dress.  It was silver, backless and floor length.  It hugged her curves and swirled around her ankles.

Alec bowed gallantly and gestured towards the door.  “Your chariot awaits, milady.”  

“I ain’t waitin’ up for you, Boo,” O.C. said.  “Have fun.” 

“I intend to,” Max said with a wicked grin.

The only car parked outside her building was a green Jaguar.  Alec stepped up to the car and opened the passenger door for her.  “Just for tonight,” he explained.  “The owner’s in Europe.  He’ll never know.”

“You really know how to treat a girl,” Max said with a smile.  “But if you get us pulled over for grand theft auto I will have to kill you.”

 

* * *

 

Logan arrived at the stroke of 8:00, punctual as always.  Asha answered the door, dressed in a simple, off-the-shoulder black dress.

Logan tugged at his bow tie.  “I can never tell if the damn thing is on straight,” he complained.

“Here, let me.”  Asha reached up and straightened the tie he’d made crooked by fussing with it. 

Logan took her hand when she was finished.  “You look beautiful,” he said.   

Asha smiled with pleasure.  “Thanks.  I’m ready.”  She took Logan’s arm as he escorted her to his waiting Aztec.

 

* * *

 

Max and Alec stood at the railing of a balcony overlooking the dance floor, sipping champagne.  She watched the glittering crowd; he watched her.  She was radiant.  Below them the orchestra played an old-fashioned waltz.  Alec slid the tips of his fingers down Max’s spine and laid his hand flat against the small of her back.  Max shivered at the unexpected contact with her bare skin.

“Dance with me, Max.”

She looked at him questioningly.  “You know how to waltz?” 

“Sure.  Believe it or not, Manticore had a training program for that.” 

“You’ve got to be kidding.  Manticore actually encouraged something as frivolous as dancing?”

Alec chuckled at the memory.  “It was a disaster.  We just didn’t get it.  There were about 30 of us, standing at attention, arms straight out, and we’re going through the steps like it’s some kind of parade drill.”  He mimicked a few steps -– his back ramrod straight, arms extended and rigid, legs moving with mechanical precision. 

Max laughed.  She could just imagine a whole room of them moving like wind-up toys.  “So what happened?” 

“They finally had to call in the guards and medical staff to put on a demonstration for us.  Only they didn’t do so good.  Too nervous, I guess.  Lydecker and Renfro were there, and they were both pissed off by this point, and staring at the room with identical scowls on their faces.  It was hilarious.”

“I’ll bet,” Max said, laughing.

“But I did eventually learn how.  And I’m pretty good, if I say so myself.”  Alec held out his arm to Max.  She smiled, and hooked her hand under his elbow, and let him lead her down the stairs and onto the dance floor.

 

* * *

 

Asha stood on the balcony, waiting for Logan to return with their drinks.  Unbeknownst to her, she was standing at almost the exact spot where Max and Alec had stood just a few minutes before.  Idly Asha watched the crowd while she waited.  She tried to count the number of diamond necklaces worn by the wives of the rich and powerful.  Her gaze was drawn to one bright spot of colour on the dance floor below.  It took her brain a few seconds to register what her eyes were seeing.  It was Max, laughing and swirling around the floor in Alec’s arms.  Asha gasped in disbelief.  She looked up to see Logan approaching with their drinks.  The look she gave him was full of hurt and reproach.

“Asha, what’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“Is that why you invited me?  Because you knew she’d be here?”

“What are you talking about?  Who’s here?”

“Max!” she said, pointing at the dancers below.

“Max is here?” he asked bewildered.  He stared at the dance floor.  The music ended with a flourish, and he saw Alec expertly dip Max.  She laughed in delight. "Max," he whispered.

Beside him Asha stifled a sob and fled into the crowd. 

“Asha, wait!”  Logan looked around frantically for a place to put their drinks, and finally shoved them at a nearby waiter, spilling half their contents in the process.  Then he took off in the direction Asha had gone, pushing his way through the crowd.  He finally caught up with her outside the hotel.  She was staring at the moon and trying hard not to cry.

“Asha!”  He reached out to touch her but she shrugged off his hand.  “Asha, I swear I didn’t know she was going to be here.  I wouldn’t use you like that.  Asha, please.”

She turned to face him, sad and resigned.  “I can’t compete with her, Logan.  I mean, look at me. And look at her. Just take me home.”

“I don’t want to lose your friendship, Asha.  You were there for me when she was gone.  Spending time with you was one of the few things that helped me go on.  Please don’t walk away now.”

“I don’t want to be second best anymore, Logan.”

“I can’t help the way I feel about her… Be patient with me.”

She stared at him for a long time without speaking.  Finally she asked, “Where do we go from here?”

“How about dinner?  We’re already dressed for it.”

“Don’t you want to go back inside?”

“No.”  Logan held out his hand and smiled when she took it.

 

* * *

 

It was the last dance of the evening.  Alec held her close as they danced, and Max felt happier than she had in months.  It had been a perfect evening.  Alec was charming, and witty, and attentive.  They had danced for hours.

She stood still and looked at him.  “Thank you for tonight,” she said softly.

“Anytime, Max,” he answered.  He brought his left hand up to her face and stroked her cheek.  Her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch.  Gently he slid one finger under her chin and tilted her face towards his.  He hesitated, and then softly, lightly brushed her lips with his.  She snuggled into his embrace, and laid her head on his shoulder.

The music ended.  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the master of ceremonies announced.  “On behalf of the Seattle Hospital Association I thank you for your generous patronage and hope you enjoyed your evening.  And now we bid you goodnight!”  A flurry of balloons fell from the ceiling.

Max sighed.  “Time for Cinderella to turn back into a pumpkin.”

Alec looked puzzled.  “I thought that was the coach,” he said as he followed her off the dance floor.

 

* * *

 

Alec walked her to the door.  Max put the key in the lock, but didn’t open the door.  

“I had a really great time tonight.”

“Me too.”

“I should probably go.”

“Yeah.”

But neither of them made a move to leave.  Max smiled, and took one step forward to close the distance between them.  Alec reached for her, and pulled her close, and kissed her again and again and again.  Finally they parted, breathless.  Max stared up at him, a question in her eyes.

“You want to take it slow,” he guessed.

“Actually, I was thinking the exact opposite,” she said, her voice trembling a little.  “I’m tired of waiting, tired of taking it slow.  I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, or next week.  All I know is what I want to happen right now.”  She took a deep breath.  “Will you come in?”

In answer he kissed her, and fumbled at the doorknob.


End file.
